Wednesday

The move by Police Chief Nicholas Caristo and Mayor Gail Coniglio comes in the wake of a March incident when members of the gun-rights group Florida Carry displayed firearms at the Royal Park Bridge.

Palm Beach Police Chief Nicholas Caristo and Mayor Gail Coniglio are urging the state senate to change the wording of the Florida Weapons and Firearms statute.

They have written a letter to State Sen. Bobby Powell prompted by the Town Council at its April 23 meeting after the gun group Florida Carry, which supports President Donald Trump, stopped at a bridge within the Town of Palm Beach openly displaying firearms.

In the letter dated July 23, Caristo and Coniglio express concern with the “Lawful Uses” section of Florida Statute 790.25 (3) (h) which allows the “use and possession of a firearm while engaged in fishing, camping, target shooting, or hunting or going to and from lawful hunting, fishing, target shooting or camping expeditions.”

They are requesting that the language in the statute be expanded to say a lawful activity “may not be conducted within 1,500 feet of the real property comprising any school, house of worship, government building, or guarded beach.”

Caristo said at last month’s meeting of the Public Safety Commission that he didn’t think it was asking too much to have the statute amended to prevent people from openly displaying firearms within a certain distance of schools, government buildings and places of worship. “I just don’t think it’s appropriate in this day and age,” Caristo said.

“I don’t want to violate people’s Second Amendment rights, but this group (Florida Carry) walked by Palm Beach Atlantic University, a college in session, with semi-automatic weapons across their chest. They also walked past our public school while it was in session and government buildings.”

That sub-statute or exemption, Caristo said, can be used by gun advocates to open carry on the town’s bridges, its streets and government buildings. ” I don’t want to violate people’s Second Amendment rights, but I’m concerned that groups like this are exceeding the spirit of the open-carry law.”

The open display of firearms is generally prohibited in Florida, but there are 18 exceptions allowed under the statute, including cases where people are fishing, camping or lawfully hunting.

Coniglio explained that the purpose of the letter is to clarify the language to keep residents safe. “I think residents would be grateful for that added protection which they would have at schools and places of worship,” Coniglio said.

Powell told the Daily News that he agreed with the language change proposed by Caristo and Coniglio.

“An individual’s Second Amendment right and another individual’s right to feel safe in their community do not have to be mutually exclusive,” Powell said. ” We can approach this issue in a common-sense manner that does not infringe upon the Second Amendment, yet addresses the concerns people have with someone openly displaying a semi-automatic rifle near our schools, places of worship, beaches and government buildings.”

Powell said he planned to file legislation seeking the proposed amendment to the statute in the coming months.

This story originally published to palmbeachdailynews.com, and was shared to other Florida newspapers in the GateHouse Media network via the Florida Wire. The Florida Wire, which runs across digital, print and video platforms, curates and distributes Florida-focused stories. For more Florida stories, visit here, and to support local media throughout the state of Florida, consider subscribing to your local paper.